The Beginning of Knowledge

I am going to over the next couple of days be re-submitting some old posts from a previous blog onto this "Moore For Christ" blog so that all of my pastoral / devotional postings will be in the same place (there will be some exceptions that I will not post). This is from earlier this year and is a devotional thought from Proverbs 1:7 and 3:5-6

A couple of weeks ago, our church had a Scripture memory verse from Proverbs. I posited a second verse in addition to Proverbs 3:5-6. That verse was Proverbs 1:7, which reads:"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." This is a very interesting verse and one that carries a TON of relevance to today's Christianity and every Christian's life. Also, since I have been studying the philosophy this week (still studying) up here at Louisville, KY at Southern Seminary, this verse is also extremely helpful for me.One of the main questions in philosophy is this:

Can you know anything?

What is truth?

Is it knowable?

This verse simply answers that question. Knowledge is only possible by belief. Saint Augustine famously said, 'You must believe something, before you can know something." True, lasting, purposeful, abundant, and sustaining knowledge begins at one place - with the fear of the Lord! Even though most of you do not have advanced degrees in any scholastic discipline, this does not mean that you lack the possession of knowledge. You actually have more knowledge than the pagan philosopher or the heathen mathematics or scientific genius. Why? Because, those disciplines operated outside of the fear of the God of the Bible, is useless and without purpose.

Remember these cross-references:

1 Corinthians 1:18-21: "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.' where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe." ESV

1 Corinthians 13:2: "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." ESV

Fools - the wise of the world act as illustrated in the latter part of our focal verse.

They despise:

1. Wisdom: this wisdom is a spiritual, heavenly wisdom - the wisdom that comes from above. To contrast earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom - read James 3:13-18.

2. Instruction: the wise of this world spurn instruction that comes from Scripture, which is the final authority for instruction on life. Wisdom from above is grounded in Scripture. Scripture is the depository for the source of all knowledge.

All knowledge and all the disciplines can find a starting point and a grounding in God's Holy Word. It is my earnest prayer that all members of Dresden First Baptist Church will be GROUNDED - ROOTED in the Word of God.Such is the beginning of knowledge.